President Ruto urges UN Security Council reforms to address global crises

Kenyan President William Ruto has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations Security Council to effectively tackle complex global challenges. During the UN Summit For The Future, President Ruto criticized the current system as inadequate for addressing issues like climate change, inequality, and conflict, warning that without immediate action, humanity faces an unprecedented global crisis. Ruto emphasized the need for bold reforms of the UN system to address the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex global challenges that the world is currently facing. He highlighted the urgency of the situation, pointing out that the planet is heating up, climate change is worsening, oceans are rising, deserts are spreading, and conflict is rampant across the globe. President Ruto stressed that the multilateral system has proven to be insufficient in addressing critical crises and providing timely solutions. He called for a reimagining of the framework of international cooperation to benefit all individuals on the planet. Ruto proposed redesigning international financial systems, strengthening partnerships for common security, closing the digital divide, and investing in human capacity, especially empowering women and youth. The President expressed concern over the dire state of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing the Secretary General's 2024 SDG report that indicates only 17 percent of SDG targets are on track. He pointed out the widening funding gap, particularly in developing countries in Africa and the Global South, urging for imaginative solutions for debt relief and development financing to bridge the SDG gap. Ruto highlighted the historical injustice of Africa's lack of permanent representation on the UN Security Council and called for it to be addressed as a matter of justice in ongoing UN reforms. He emphasized the importance of region-led peace operations, sustainably funded by UN assessed contributions, in addressing current complex security challenges. The President also shared Kenya's initiatives to combat climate change, including a plan to increase forest cover by 30 percent through planting 15 billion trees, largely driven by the youth. President Ruto acknowledged the widening global digital divide fueled by technological advancements like AI, noting that Africa holds critical resources for the tech revolution but receives disproportionately low benefits. He commended Kenya's Africa-led mission in Haiti, highlighting the significant progress made towards peace in the region despite resource constraints. Ruto concluded by reiterating the need for urgent action to overhaul the global financial system and address the pressing global challenges to secure a sustainable future for all.